Video Games

This review was written by Jonathan Nerdtrek’s son Justice Danger. Justice is 10 years old and loves playing both video games and tabletop games. Skylanders Giants is an awesome game. I love how you can use these giant skylanders that are way bigger than the regular skylanders. The abilities for the giants are awesome, you can just walk into crates and chompies and they will be destroyed or killed. They can also pick up huge boulders and throw them out of the way. Another thing the giants can do is, you know when you had to try to get a bomb and get it to the wall? Well, now you can just use any attack on it with a giant […]

One of the titles I’m really looking forward to this year is the reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise, if only from a nostalgic point of view. Without giving away my age, I can only say that I was very young when I met the adventurous Lara Croft and she soon became my heroine. She was the first memorable female gaming character and for someone not even in her teens, the concept was mind blowing. Lara Croft had shown me that the girls can do it too and I spend many, many hours staring at her back, blowing away bad guys and making a reasonable dent in the animal populations of Peru and China. In all that time, I […]

“Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?” That’s the first question you find yourself asking upon playing with these fun little interactive blocks. Sifteo Cubes. They’re these little white cubes with touch screens similar to the iPod Touch. What sets them apart is their ability to interact with one another via wireless technology. Each cube can detect if another cube is adjacent to it, thus you can finally play games in three dimensions! Chroma Splash, a game similar to Tetris or Dr. Mario allows you to rotate the cubes to eliminate different colored circles and squares. It is very addictive and the extra element of the multiple blocks quickly draws friends and family members who want to help you solve […]

Each year we’ve provided a slew of the absolute best deals for nerds on the net. This year, we’re going to concentrate our phasers into a refined beam and blast away the other offers on the gaming table, leaving only the cream of the crop. Sure, we may miss some stuff, but we’ll get the stuff that really matters. Whether you’re a nerd shopping for yourself, or holiday shopping and looking for gifts for a nerd, you’ll find the top 10 nerd picks right here at NERDTREK.com. STAR TREK: The Next Generation – Seasons 1 & 2 on Blu-Ray (DVD) We begin our Top 10 Gifts for Nerds with my absolute favorite show of all time and inspiration for […]

Today, November 18th 2012 marks the long awaited release of the new Nintendo Wii U console. The Wii U is the first Nintendo console to support high-definition graphics, capable of producing video output up to 1080p, and has 2 GB of memory with half dedicated to the console’s operating system. The console was released in two versions: a “Basic” white-colored version with 8 GB of internal Flash storage; and a “Deluxe” black-colored version with 32 GB of Flash storage, which includes stand and docks. An HDMI cable is included with both versions. The Wii U’s primary controller is the Wii U GamePad, which features an embedded touchscreen. The touchscreen is used to supplement the main gameplay shown on the […]

Aiden Pierce is the protagonist of this open World Third-Person Action Adventure game. It’s set in modern day Chicago where the city government is corrupt. You (as Aiden Pierce) are trying to take down and expose the corrupt officials using the grey area world between mainstream society and the criminal underground. Surveillance is an important mechanic in the game. We’ll be able to use Aiden’s in-game cell phone for doing things like manipulating traffic lights to cause accidents, listening in on people’s phone calls, and identifying strangers. We can also hack into personal profiles, employment files, medical reports, and get other info on them. The game looks really cool while you’re using the surveillance systems in the gameplay footage I’ve […]

“Like” NERD TREK on Facebook and you’re entered to win a copy of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. We’ve got a huge stack of these games for Xbox 360 and PS3 and just waiting to give them away! http://facebook.com/NERDTREK No purchase necessary. Offer void where prohibited or restricted by law. 1. Eligibility. This contest is open to legal residents of the United States. Must be 18 or older. The user must have a Facebook account and must like NERD TREK on Facebook to be entered. 2. Length. This contest will begin September 24th, 2012 and end October 31, 2012. 3. How to Enter. A Facebook account is required to enter this contest. Users need to “like” the NERD TREK Facebook page […]

Recently, I dove back into the world of Lordran with the release of the ‘Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition’ on PC. With controller in hand (because that’s what From Software recommended using months ago) and the Dark Souls Fix in place (which takes an easy few seconds to install), I played the opening sequence in the Undead Asylum and sweet euphoric memories came flooding back. Fast forward through 120 hours of gameplay and I am once again addicted to Dark Souls like I was when I played it for the first time back in October of 2011 when it was released. Now, I don’t want to make myself sound like a complete “fanboy” of the game (although to an […]

. In this new steam punk inspired world, you’ll be a supernatural powered former bodyguard of an assassinated empress and framed for her murder… Your environment is based on a whaling city, and similar to an old London with futuristic and paranormal aspects to it. . . Teleportation, Possession, Stopping Time, and Double Jumping are just a handful of tools that will be at your disposal. One of the most intriguing things that I’ve seen from the game so far is the ability to combine different powers to compound aspects of what you’re trying to accomplish. Mix teleporting with double jumps to cover ground and distance that would make Parkour fans salivate. Stop time, possess people and move them around… It’s all fair game in this […]

I’ve been a fan of the Final Fantasy series ever since I first played Final Fantasy 1 on my Nintendo Entertainment System 21 years ago (Damn, has it really been that long?), and recently I’ve been yearning for some of that old school FF flair. I hooked up my trusty NES and took a trip down memory lane. I had forgotten how simplistic, yet how well crafted FF1 was back in the day. Even by today’s standards there are still some redeeming qualities of the game that shine. For instance, the game definitely has replay value. You have the choice to choose from 6 different character classes and you can combine them in any order you want. Want to be […]

Video gaming is a passion of many people from all age groups. It offers them a thrilling and challenging experience. If you too are one of those who enjoy gaming to the hilt, you might even be amazed by the idea of designing a video game of your own. Is programming necessary to make good video games? For novices and those making games for sheer fun, programming skills are not required. You can simply download some software that aids in designing games and go on to make new things out of it. A creative mind and an interest in gaming are all you need. But if you want to make a game for commercial use and want it to fair […]

Wizards of the Coast is excited to announce that a sneak peek of the new User Interface update for Magic: The Gathering Online is live for a limited time. You can be among the first to download and take the game on a nine-day test drive, which ends July 25, 2012. Magic Online has been redesigned to make it easier than ever to play when you want and how you want. The latest features include: • Streamlined download: 5 minutes vs. 2 hours • Improved drafting and limited deck building scenes • Updated navigation and visuals improve usability • Combined collection and deck editor simplifies card management • Floating windows take advantage of high resolutions and multiple monitors • Full access to deck building, casual play, trading, and store

It’s no secret that I didn’t like the Mass Effect 3 ending. As one of the older, more loyal fans to the series, I felt seriously short changed. I had come to expect quite a lot from Bioware who, in my oppinion, had not failed to deliver (we’ll ignore Dragon Age 2 shall we…) in the days leading up to the release of Mass Effect 3. Mass Effect 2, with its function that allowed you to play either paragon or renegade and its manner of providing you with the direct consequences of your wrong decisions (sending Tali into the vents for instance vs sending Thane) had showed me that Bioware knew what they doing and had the ability to anticipate […]

Aiden Pierce is the protagonist of this open World Third-Person Action Adventure game. It’s set in modern day Chicago where the city government is corrupt. You (as Aiden Pierce) are trying to take down and expose the corrupt officials using the grey area world between mainstream society and the criminal underground. Surveillance is an important mechanic in the game. We’ll be able to use Aiden’s in-game cell phone for doing things like manipulating traffic lights to cause accidents, listening in on people’s phone calls, and identifying strangers. We can also hack into personal profiles, employment files, medical reports, and get other info on them. The game looks really cool while you’re using the surveillance systems in the gameplay footage I’ve […]

Dawnguard is Skyrim’s first expansion. It’s not just added stuff to bolster what we have, there is a lot of new content as well. We’ll be able to join the Dawnguard or become a Vampire Lord. Killing people as a Vampire Lord opens a new skill tree to level up. The more Vampiric carnage you cause, the more you can upgrade your Vampire Lord abilities. Some of the new powers include: Summoning Gargoyles, Turning into a cloud of Bats, Slowing Time, inflicting Instant Paralysis, and Flight (Although it looks like hovering. I’m not yet sure if we can fly over Skyrim, especially because the developers have previously stated that they took away the Levitation spell because they didn’t want […]

I’ve recently acquired a copy of Rage, the first person shooter developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. It seemed like a pretty decent line up and I was quite excited to return to a post apocalyptic world. Something, in my opinion – along with zombies and Coca Cola, that never gets old. I spend hours running around the Capital Wasteland of Fallout 3, oogling the scenery, running around, jumping, climbing trees and historical monuments alike and I wouldn’t have minded if Rage was like this, if only to give me a change of scenery that I haven’t explored to the max. At first glance, these two games appear suspiciously similar. You play as a character buried in a hole for the past […]

You’re a Native American assassin named Conner. It’s 1775 and you’re in the American Colonies, early on in the beginning stages of the American Revolution before the Declaration of Independence was signed. You have some trusty blades of course, a bow with arrows, firearms, and a bad ass Tomahawk. You’re going to be able to “tree-run” which is like Parkour through the forest. You can not only finally climb trees in the world of Assassin’s Creed, but you can run, jump, and swing through the trees. The scenery in the Eastern US is beautiful and the new weather system makes the environment immersive and more realistic. AC3 introduces Naval Combat where you’re manning a ship on the open seas. Steer […]

If there was ever a time that I am excited about being a Playstation owner, it is now. After following E3, I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re in for a rough and hopefully extraordinary ride. Creators of Heavy Rain, Quantic Dream has announced the release of a new game called Beyond: Two Souls. Academy Award nominee Ellen Page, famous for her role as a pregnant teenager in Juno and the architect student in Inception, voices a woman named Jodie Holmes who appears to have a psychic connection to an entity named Ivan. Hunted for her power, the game follows fifteen years of her life in which the gamers actions and decisions will influence the course of her history. The trailer promises a […]

Anyone that knows me, knows I love FPS games. Not the campaign mind you, but the online multiplayer. Yes Modern Warfare did actually have a great single player campaign, but great single player campaigns and the COD franchise aren’t exactly hand in hand. So why is there such emphasis on the single player campaign from Treyarch? Rumor circulating about it claims that certain missions will be one shot deals where dieing will actually affect the storyline. A page obviously swiped from the Heavy Rain playbook. But does anyone care? Never mind the massive plot holes, like characters that died in Black Ops mysteriously being alive. Or the juxtaposition of flipping from normal combat in the 70’s and 80’s to futuristic […]

343 industries is making the new saga which will be at least a trilogy. At the end of Halo 3, Master Chief and Cortana are sent adrift into deep space. After beating the game on Legendary, you see a preview of a planet they are drifting towards. That planet is Requiem, a vast and diverse land that Master Chief and Cortana end up crash landing on. In Halo 4 we’ll finally meet an entirely new class of enemy, a species called the Prometheans. They work together against you. A Promethean Knight that you have to face may spawn Watchers to shield and defend them, plus watchers can summon Crawlers and even resurrect the Promethean Knight. Crawlers are manageable one on one […]

A Real Time Strategy game for the social gamer, Kingdoms of Camelot: Battle for the North is an entertaining FREE game that is available for download in the iTunes App Store. When you start there is a tutorial that walks you through what to do. How to build cottages to increase your population, farms for food to feed your subjects and other resource fields to gain ore, wood, and stone as well. You tax your people for gold, the higher the tax, the faster your population’s happiness goes down. Building a barracks (more than one) is key to success, especially early on. It’s pretty easy to learn but there are many moving parts that you have to keep track of. […]

I just read an “in depth” article about the upcoming Wii U console and to say I’m underwhelmed is an understatement. Let’s look passed the fact that Nintendo isn’t confirming ANY of the hardware specs for a moment, ignore the bogus claims of PS3 and 360 besting graphics and get to the meat of the information available. One: Nintendo is still calling the new console the Wii U. Why? Who knows, Nintendo is in love with stupid names for systems. Two: Nintendo is rumored to be more accessible to third party developers. This is supposed to mean that gamers may get more games than Mario 95 Galaxy Warrior Princess, Mario Kart 52 Tokyo Drift, and another god damn Wii Sports […]

I’ve been following the progression and reviews of Diablo 3 with interest, reading about the frustration of the first day launch issues and the mixed responses to the actual gameplay. Following not experiencing I have to say because I will never be able to play a game like Diablo 3. You see, D3 requires a constant internet connection which takes you to the servers where this game is hosted, forcing you to be online even when you are playing a single-player campaign. Although I would’ve loved to play D3, a game 12 years in the making, my internet is simply too slow and getting a faster connection would be more expensive than one game is worth. This game has begun to […]

The gaming industry is by no means filled with cowards or people who’s thinking perspectives remain within the box. Every day you find that designers, developers and even gamers push themselves outside the box that comes with society. Among those that shine is Camouflaj, a small independent game company that has one very big goal. To raise $500,000 so that they can fund their independent game and so keep their creative license and IP out of the clutches of bigger game developers who would most probably distort their vision to something they could barely live with. Their goal? Simple. Design a game and write a story for touch-based devices Create an intense action game without a focus on killing Feature […]

Having made my peace with the unsatisfying end of that-game-that-shall-not-be-named-until-they-fix-it I have spend some time investigating the other hopeful candidates of entertainment that I have on the horizon for this year. Among all of the potentially awesome games around, I have to say that for me, Tomb Raider stands out. I realize that this is a purely personal matter. There are a lot of other ‘big hitters’ out there that will no doubt change the face of gaming forever. But, for me – Tomb Raider is the star I’m waiting for. Crystal Dynamic’s studio head, Darrell Gallagher promises that they will be exploring concepts that had not been covered before in the previous franchises. It will be the origin story that will […]

There are few things worse than dedicating hours of your life, attention, and finger dexterity to a video game only to get to the end and be enormously disappointed. It feels like being robbed of sweet victory, and it amounts to having your built-up expectations shattered. Be forewarned that the following list is a compilation of plot-spoilers, but also know that these plots were spoiled long before this list was ever written. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault After days of fighting Nazis in Africa and France, being challenged by enemies who become increasingly clever in their assaults, and completing nearly thirty levels, this game ends on a flat note. One would expect a game with such nuanced graphics and detailed […]

Warning: This post contains major spoilers for the end of Mass Effect 3 and general plot lines. Do not read it if you don’t wish to be informed. I think it’s about time to try and gain some perspective on Mass Effect 3. I’ve been waiting for this game for almost a year, after I had obtained the second game from a second hand game store and flirting the attendant down to a fraction of the price. I don’t know what made me pick it up, I guess I just… liked the look of it. I’ve always been an RPG fan and have been anxiously looking for something to fill the void that the unsatisfactory Fall Out: New Vegas had […]